Devices and methods for delivering fluid to a nasal cavity

Abstract

A delivery tube and cap are configured to be connected to a container that houses fluid to be delivered to a nasal cavity. The delivery tube includes an inner cannula that is positioned within an outer cannula. Each of the cannulas includes a first outlet with one or more openings aligned along a first lateral section and a second outlet with one or more openings aligned along a second lateral section. The delivery tube and cap are configured to provide relative axial movement between the cannulas. The cannulas are positionable between a first axial position that aligns the first outlets along the first lateral section of the delivery tube to deliver the fluid out of the device in a first lateral direction, and a second axial position that aligns the second outlets along the second lateral section to deliver fluid out of the device in a second lateral direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device to deliver fluid from a container, the device comprising:
 a hollow inner cannula comprising:
 an inlet at a proximal end of the inner cannula; and 
 first and second outlets positioned towards a distal end of the inner cannula and on different lateral sections of the inner cannula, each being in fluid-flow relationship with the inlet; 
 
 a hollow outer cannula that extends over and houses the inner cannula, the outer cannula comprising third and fourth outlets that are:
 exposed to an exterior of the device; 
 towards a distal end of the outer cannula; and 
 on different lateral sections of the outer cannula; and 
 
 a cap connected to both the inner cannula and the outer cannula and configured to mate with the container, the cap comprising:
 a first section attached to the proximal end of the inner cannula; and 
 a second section configured to rotate relative to the first section such that relative axial movement of the inner and outer cannulas along a longitudinal axis of the inner and outer cannulas between a first axial position and a second axial position is provided; 
 
 wherein, in the first axial position, the first and third outlets are aligned and the second and fourth outlets are misaligned thereby permitting the fluid to be predominantly ejected laterally out of the device from the third outlet via the first outlet relative to the fourth outlet via the second outlet; 
 wherein, in the second axial position, the first and third outlets are misaligned and the second and fourth outlets are aligned thereby permitting the fluid to be predominantly ejected laterally out of the device from the fourth outlet via the second outlet relative to the third outlet via the first outlet. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises first and second ramps that engage with the outer cannula such that the rotation of the second section relative to the first section provides the relative axial movement of the inner and outer cannulas. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein to engage with the outer cannula such that the rotation of the second section relative to the first section provides the relative axial movement of the inner and outer cannulas, the first and second ramps engage with fins that extend radially outward from the outer cannula. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein to rotate relative to the first section, the second section is further configured to rotate:
 in a clockwise direction to move the outer cannula axially relative to the inner cannula in a first direction; and 
 in a counter-clockwise direction to move the outer cannula axially relative to the inner cannula in a second direction opposite to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner cannula is fixedly attached to the first section of the cap to prevent movement of the inner cannula during the relative axial movement of the inner and outer cannulas. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth outlets comprises a plurality of openings. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the plurality of openings of the first and third outlets are common in number; and 
 the plurality of openings of the second and fourth outlets are common in number. 
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an opening in the distal end of each of the inner and outer cannulas. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer cannula is curved. 
     
     
       10. A device to deliver fluid from a container, the device comprising:
 a delivery tube comprising an outer cannula and an inner cannula positioned within a hollow interior of the outer cannula, each of the cannulas comprising:
 a first lateral section and a second lateral section opposite the first lateral section; 
 an elongated shape comprising a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end; 
 a first outlet and a second outlet, respectively positioned on the first and second lateral sections, each of the outlets being towards the distal end and exposed to an exterior of the device; 
 
 a cap connected to both the inner cannula and the outer cannula, wherein the cap is configured to mate with the container and axially position the cannulas relative to one another between a first axial position and a second axial position by keeping one of the cannulas stationary during movement of the other; 
 wherein in the first axial position the first outlets are aligned and the second outlets are misaligned to deliver the fluid out of the device in a first lateral direction; 
 wherein in the second axial position the second outlets aligned and the first outlets misaligned to deliver the fluid out of the device in a second lateral direction. 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the inner cannula is fixedly connected to the cap and the outer cannula is movable relative to the cap. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the proximal ends of each of the inner and outer cannulas are connected to the cap. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the one of the cannulas kept stationary during the movement of the other is threaded onto a threaded portion of the cap. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 10 , wherein in the first axial position the second outlets overlap a lesser amount than the first outlets such that a predominant amount of the fluid is ejected from the delivery tube in the first lateral direction relative to a lesser amount of the fluid ejected from the delivery tube in the second lateral direction. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the first outlet and the second outlet of each cannula are spaced apart around the perimeter of the cannula by an angle of 90° or less. 
     
     
       16. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the cap comprises a plurality of members that each include an opening, the members being rotatably connected together and with the openings coaxially aligned. 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the cannulas comprises a stop configured to control an extent of the movement. 
     
     
       18. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second outlet of one of the cannulas are misaligned. 
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 10 , wherein the delivery tube is curved. 
     
     
       20. A method of delivering fluid from a container to a nasal cavity, the method comprising:
 rotating a first cap member in a first rotational direction relative to a second cap member, with a delivery tube comprising an inner cannula and an outer cannula being connected to the first and second cap members, to cause movement of the outer cannula relative to the inner cannula in a first axial direction until a stop comprised in at least one of the cannulas controls an extent of the movement; 
 aligning a first set of outlets on a first lateral section of the inner and outer cannulas and misaligning a second set of outlets on a second lateral side of the inner and outer cannulas, the first and second sets of outlets being positioned towards distal ends of the inner and outer cannulas; 
 moving the fluid from the container into a proximal end of the inner cannula at the first and second cap members and along the inner cannula and expelling the fluid through the aligned first set of outlets on the first lateral section.